• Q&A: Cutting Roses 

Answer: Cutting hybrid tea roses properly insures more blossoms throughout the season. When you cut roses, prune back to a leaf with five leaflets. Cut rose stem low enough to keep the bush compact. 

• Q&A: Overwintering Tea Roses 

Question: What is the best way to prepare my tea roses for winter. 

Answer: Our winters are cold and while we usually get lots of snow, last year we didn't and I lost a few rose bushes. Answer: If you haven't stopped fertilizing your roses yet, you should stop now. Generally, it is a good idea to stop fertilizing roses in early August. If you fertilize beyond that date, you can get a flush of new growth--just when the plant should be winding down and preparing for winter dormancy. 

Also, stop deadheading (removing the spent blooms). Instead, let those blooms stay intact and form seed pods, or "hips." The formation of hips signals the rose to stop growing. It's important that roses are in a full state of dormancy before the really cold weather hits. Once your roses are dormant, it is time to apply the winter protection. 

Begin by cleaning up the rose bed, removing all leaf litter from the ground, and the top inch of mulch. There are many diseases that overwinter in leaf litter, so good housecleaning in the fall is essential. Some gardeners go as far as plucking off any leaves that are still clinging on the canes. Next, give the bed a deep watering. The roses need a big gulp before their long winter's nap. 

• Q&A: Rose Bush Dying From Black Spot   

Question: My rose bush is almost dead ( some life). I sprayed with a fungicide. and insecticide.should i prune back all dead branches? if so , how far down can i go? 

Answer: Most roses can recover and releaf if they are otherwise healthy. Mid August is not a good time to prune because the new growth will be very tender and likely to winterkill as a result. Black spot is a fungal infection and can be difficult to control. Using an appropriate fungicide according to the label instructions along with removing any infected leaves and a very thorough clean up of the area around the plant can help. It is also good to keep the plant pruned regularly to enhanc eair circulation through it and to avoid overhead watering. Using a fresh layer of new mulch each spring can also help reduce the reinfection rate. In the end though, some rose varieties are more prone to black spot than others so if you have one that is particularly susceptible to it you might consider another variety.  

Here are two options for protecting roses:

1. Cut canes back to 2 to 3 feet tall after they're dormant. Cover the crown with a 1-foot deep layer of bark mulch. The mulch will protect the crown and allow air to circulate. Don't use soil, leaves, or grass clippings as they tend to hold too much water which can cause rot. Then wrap the canes with burlap to protect them from drying winds. 

2. Use purchased rose cones. Be sure to anchor them well so they won't blow away. These cost more, and it's not clear if they provide any better protection than the first method, but they are more convenient. 

• Q&A: Add Iron to Roses 

Answer: If the new leaves on your roses are pale yellow or the areas between the leaf veins are yellow, your plants may be iron deficient. Spray a chelated iron fertilizer on the leaves to correct the deficiency. 

• Q&A: Rose Tea

Answer: Roses love alfalfa tea. Place 3 cups of alfalfa meal in an 8 gallon bucket. Fill with water, stir, and cover for several days. Pour one gallon of tea over the roots of rose bushes three times a year. 

• Q&A: Companions for container roses

Answer: The companion plants you've chosen for your roses should be quite happy where you've planted them. The best plant companions are those with similar cultural needs. In the case of your roses, they should thrive in full sunshine, in rich, moist soil. The plants you've chosen do not have invasive root systems and should not interfere with the root systems of your roses. 

• Q&A: Easy-Care Roses 

Question: What is the easiest rose to grow? Are there any that do not need regular spraying with pesticides?

Answer: There are many disease resistant, hardy roses available, but none are "bug-proof" or "disease-proof." When shopping for roses, look for varieties described as "resistant to black spot," a notorious fungal disease of roses. Rugosa roses are a good choice. Though they can look a little more "wild" than tea roses, they tend to be more rugged and resistant to pests. 

Japanese beetles, rose chafers, and aphids are a few examples of rose-loving insects. Fortunately, there are organic, neem-based repellants available that have shown some success in keeping these critters at bay, so long as they are applied before the insects arrive. 

There are many different kinds of roses (floribundas, hybrid tea, shrub, miniature, etc.), so you'll want to do some "window shopping" to see what type fits your situation. Then search out a disease-resistant, hardy variety in that category. 

• Q&A: Tea Roses in containers.

Answer: Yes, you can grow hybrid tea roses in containers, as long as you overwinter them in a protected location. Use the largest container available, such as a 1/2 whiskey barrel. Fill the barrel with a mix of compost, peat-based, potting soil and some perlite (for drainage). Plant the rose as you normally would outdoors, placing the graft union about 1 inch below the soil surface. Grow the roses all summer in full sun, keeping them watered and fertilized monthly. Come fall, let the rose naturally drop it's leaves and go through some below freezing temperatures. Then bring the containers into an unheated garage, wrap the canes with burlap and leave them through the winter. It's a good idea to place hay bales or some other insulation around the containers to minimize freeze/thaw cycles. 

Before you get started, remember that the containers will be very heavy to move. 

St. Augustine Grass

• Q&A: Caring for St. Augustine Grass 

Answer: Aerating St. Augustine can be beneficial to the turf. Dethatching, however, is too damaging as St. Augustine spreads by aboveground runners and the dethatching machines can do significant damage. 

St. Augustine rarely has a thatch problem. Overwatering, overfertilizing and excessive use of fungicides can contribute to a thatch problem, but proper lawn care almost never results in excessive thatch buildup in St. Augustine.

• Q&A: Planting Sedum  

Answer: Sedums are great perennials for fall color producing coppery-red flower heads from late summer until frost. Plant sedums in well-drained soil amended with compost in a part- to full-sun location. Keep plants well watered. 

Strawberries

• Q&A: Preparing Strawberries for Winter 

Answer: No, it's best to leave the leaves in place. Mowing can stimulate new growth which is more succeptible to frost damage. Let the ground freeze hard before mulching the patch with straw, leaves or covering with a fabric row cover. This will prevent heaving of the soil during warm/cold cycles of winter. If you want to renovate the patch, you can mow the tops after spring harvest. This will stimulate a bunch of new runners, and you can set them to replace your older plants. 

• Q&A: Soil for Raised Beds 

Answer: A mix of about half topsoil and half compost will be good. Another option is to mix compost and sand with your existing soil in a 50% compost, 25% sand and 25% soil mix. Whatever mix you use, blend it in with your existing soil in the bottom of the beds before adding more mix to prevent a sudden interface or different soil types. 

Question: Are there any varieties of tomato that will grow in a shady area? 

Answer: There really isn't a shade tolerant variety of tomato. All tomatoes will produce their best crop in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun per day). You will find, however, that the small-fruited or cherry types tend to set a little better when light levels are less than ideal. Perhaps you could plant your tomatoes in containers, and place them in the sunniest spot you have!